On Feb. 9, 2011, natural gas from a cracked cast-iron pipe fueled a massive explosion that lit up the sky in Allentown, killing five people and destroying eight row homes at 13th and Allen streets. The explosion echoed another — just six months earlier in San Bruno, Calif. There, the blast was so strong it registered as a small earthquake. Eight people were killed, and dozens of homes were consumed by fire. In Allentown, blame was placed on a corroded distribution line belonging to natural gas utility UGI; in San Bruno, on a defective weld in the transmission system operated by Pacific Gas & Electric. Two administrative law judges, after working openly in public hearings,...

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On Feb. 9, 2011, natural gas from a cracked cast-iron pipe fueled a massive explosion that lit up the sky in Allentown, killing five people and destroying eight row homes at 13th and Allen streets.
The explosion echoed another — just six months earlier...

Mitt Romney got the next best thing to an endorsement from U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, he got validation.Toomey -- who made his mark in Washington hunting down Republican moderates to replace them in Congress with conservatives when he was president of the Club...

Good Wednesday Morning, Fellow Seekers. We're coming to you live from the scenic Philadelphia suburbs this morning, where, in just a little while, Gov. Tom Corbett is supposed to open a brand-spanking-new Microsoft corporate edifice in the burg of Malvern ... .

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Here's an interesting take on who could be the next Penn State coach. This is written by my son Kevin, also a Penn State alumnus. -- After the obvious (the legend known as Urban Meyer), my second choice still would ...

The world's richest person got even richer this year.
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SEATTLE Microsoft's employee philanthropy program dished out a record $117 million to nonprofits and schools last year, the company said on Thursday, topping the 2013 total of $113 million. Those donations included contributions from two thirds of...

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Like many people I know, I'm fascinated by the wealthy. Not the simple rich who have a mere two commas on their net worth statements but the uber-wealthy multi-billionaires. Bill Gates. Warren Buffett. The Koch brothers. People with so much money that...

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When a team of researchers from the University of Delaware traveled to Africa two years ago to search for exemplary chickens, they weren't looking for plump thighs or delicious eggs.
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Microsoft Corp.'s new chief executive has signaled a new era for the company with a heavy finger on the delete key, erasing 18,000 jobs — 14% of the workforce.
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Bill Gates may be focusing on his philanthropy these days, but he hasn't dropped out of the tech world completely. And if the hip, young buzzword these days is "viral," then Gates wants a piece of that.
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